Railroad car and lading tiedown device therefor



Dec. 23, 1969 A. L. BERRY 3,435,184

RAILROAD CAR AND LADING TIEDOWN DEVICE THEREFOR Filed Nov. 17, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ARTHUR L. BERRY ATT'Y Dec. 23, 1969 A. L. BERRY 3,485,184

RAILROAD CAR AND LADING TIEDOWN DEVICE THEREFOR Filed Nov. 17, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11v VENTOR ARTHUR L. BERRY ATT'Y.

3,485,184 RAILROAD CAR AND LADING TIEDOWN DEVICE THEREFOR Arthur L. Berry, Wilmette, 11]., assignor to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 684,064 Int. Cl. B61d 45/00, 3/16; 1360p 7/00 US. Cl. 105369 21 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A railroad car such as a bulkhead fiat car for holding packaged lumber wherein there is provided a tiedown device for the lumber comprising a plurality of interconnected spaced apart lateral pairs of tiedown arms and an overhead lading tiedown arm couplable to the lateral pair which are coupled to the side sills of the car for surrounding the lumber and comprising an overhead trolley arrangement coupled to the overhead arms for movement of the tiedown arms along a trolley guide rod from which the arms resiliently depend and whereby the lateral arms may be pivoted about the overhead tiedown arms when not in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of invention This invention relates to railroad cars carrying lading and particularly relates to railroad cars having lading tiedown means therefor, for such railroad cars as the fiat deck type upon which is stored lading such as packaged lumber and wherein there is provided tiedown means for securing the lumber to the fiat deck. It is desirable to have the lading or packaged lumber tie down in certain areas and not in other areas and in order to do this it is desirable to be able to shift the tiedown means to various positions longitudinally of the lumber car and to provide means for placing the movable tiedown means in an out-of-way position to place and remove the packaged lumber on the fiat car and it is in this area that the invention is particularly directed.

Description of prior art Many kinds of lading bearing fiat deck railroad cars have been proposed and various means for tying down the lading on the car have been proposed but it has been a problem to locate the tiedown means adjacent the lading which may be located at various positions on a flat car. Also the tiedown means in addition to being locatable at various positions longitudinally of the lumber car should also have the facility to be placed in an outof-way position when loading and unloading the lading on the railroad fiat car. The tiedown means should be also so positioned on the fiat deck as to permit the lumber to be stacked vertically and longitudinally of the flat deck of the car.

SUMMARY This invention relates to an improved railroad car structure of the flat deck type adapted to carry lading wherein the car is provided with tiedown structure to securely hold the lading on the car regardless of where the lading is positioned on the flat deck. The invention comprehends the provision of the articulated tiedown arms which surround stacked piles of packaged lumber on the railroad car whereby the lateral arms may be swung into an out-of-way position when placing the lading and removing the lading from the car. Also the invention is illustrative of providing for an overhead trolley arrangement which allows the tiedown structure or structures to be moved to a plurality of positions longitudinally nite States Patent "ice of the car to secure various types of ladings in different positions on the fiat car. This also enables the unused tiedown devices to be stacked in one out-of-the-way end position on the railway car. The inventive design is directed to a trolley arrangement carrying the tiedown devices which may be adjusted thereon and resiliently suspended from the trolley in a manner where they may be drawn down against the packages of lumber and securely to the fiat car side sills. This invention also finds use in a strongback lumber car where there is a central longitudinally extending reinforcing member (which may be removed) extending above the car deck and along which the lumber or lading may be stored and stacked thereabove; however, this invention can also find use in flat deck cars of other types. The inventive device more particularly concerns a trolley supported between the bulkheads of the flat car which trolley is supported by upright piers and whereby lading bearing cross arms are resiliently supported overhead by the trolley spring means and whereby lateral vertically extending extension arms are pivotally attached to the end of the cross members, the end of the extension arms being adjustably attached to the sides of the car by means of tightening nuts which fit under holding clamps on each of the car side sills. These clamps are at a plurality of positions thereof for a plurality of such cross arm and extension arm combinations. When the tightening nuts are loosened a respective spring attached to its cross arm lifts the cross arm so that it clears the lumber packages it secures. The tiedown devices can thus be rolled out of the way with the extension arms still in the down position or the extension arms can be folded back over the trolley and the loading and unloading operations performed underneath. The tiedown arrangement can also be folded up and pushed toward the end of the car. The piers or posts may be the same width as the raised center sill on the so-called strongback constructed flat car and act also as spacers and lateral load supports between the lumber packages and help to make the car simple and quick to load. These and other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reference to the following description, attached drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a railroad car and novel tiedown means for holding lading on the car;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of such a railroad car and its tiedown means;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference now to the drawings there is shown a railroad car 1 such as a bulkhead flat car (FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) for holding lading such as packaged lumber or the like. The railroad car is supported by trucks 2 and has a flat deck 3 upon which lading is carried. The flat deck car is provided with a sliding sill arrangement 5 at each end of the car and each sill is provided with the usual couplers 6 and each sill extends into the longitudinally extending fixed center sill 7 and slides on wear pads 50, 5b attached to the fixed center sill 7 to provide for cushioning of the car lading in the conventional manner. The car is provided with a pluraltiy of cross members 8 and longitudinal stringers 8a and is provided with a central beam structure or strongback 9 which is attached to the top of the fixed center sill and extends somewhat above the fiat deck 3. The strongback member lends strength to the flat deck car. The sliding sill is carried on a center sill support 7a and attached to the center sill structure 7. The car is further provided with conventional longitudinally extending side sills 10, 10, each side sill comprising upper and lower horizontal flanges 19a and ltlc and intermediate connecting vertical web 10b. Extending upwardly from each end of the fiat deck of the car is an end bulkhead 11 having handholds 11a. Lading 12 in the form of the packaged lumber is stacked on the fiat deck of the car and on each side of the strongback structure 9. Between each lading package 12 and between the lading package and the deck there is provided lading spacers 12a as is seen, the lading being stacked vertically and longitudinally along the car between the bulkheads.

The railroad car 1 is provided with lading or lumber packaging tiedown means or devices 13. The tiedown means comprises trolley arrangement or means 14 having a longitudinally extending support rod 15 that is overhead with respect to the lading or packages, the ends of the support rod being supported in trunnions 16, 16 on the end trolley support piers 17a, 17a. The support rod or carriage 15 is further held up by an intermediate trolley support ier 17 that extends upward from the strongback structure 9, each pier 17a or 1711 being approximately the width of structure 9. A plurality of tie-down carrying trolleys 18 are movable along the rod or track 15 whereby each trolley 18 is provided with a pair of trolley rollers 19, 19 having roller shafts 2t 20 (FIG. 5) supported in a respective trolley roller support housing 21 each of which is U-shaped in cross-section having spaced apart vertical walls and a bottom interconnecting wall to which is attached a stud 22 for connecting with a respective tiedown cross arm 27 against the bottom wall of housing 21, a spring 23 being disposed about each stud 22 and extending from below a respective cross arm 27, the end of each stud being threaded to receive a nut 24, with washers 25, 25 being on either side of the cross arm 27 with the stud extending through an aperture 26 in a cross arm 27 to provide for a resilient suspension of each cross arm 27 from the rod 15. A plurality of lateral load guides or spacers 170 are provided between the piers 17a and 17b and below cross arms 27 to allow for longitudinal movement of the trolleys 18 between the piers and the packages 12 and above the spacers 17c. These guides 17c prevent lateral movement of the lading which is composed of a pair of longitudinally extending lateral stacks of packages 12 and also prevent the top of the packages 12 from engaging trolley stud 22. Each cross arm 27 has at each of its lateral ends a connector 28 for pivotal connection with a respective vertically extending arm or rod 29. The cross arm 27 and upright 29, 29 with the deck 3 encompass the packages 12 for securing same to the car. The lower end of each lateral arm 29 is held to the respective side sill 10 of the car by a clamp structure or support bracket 30 being U-shaped in cross section with portions 30a, 30b, and 300 (see FIG. 4). The bracket 30 in plan view, comprises two arms 31 and 32 through which extends the lower end of arm 29, the end of which is threaded and receives spacer 34 held under the clamp portion 30b. The spacer 34 is held in place by self-locking nut 35. The nuts 35 on each car side are so tightened to extend a respective spring 23 causing the respective cross arm to bear against its packages 12. Release of nut 35 causes the respective rod 27 to spring away from the packages.

Since the car is provided with a plurality of spring sus ended cross arms 27 and vertical arms 29 carried by their respective trolleys 18, each group of arms 27 and 29 may be shifted longitudinally along rod 15 between piers 17a or 17b to desired positions over the lading or packages or stored at one of the ends of the car in outof-use positions with the articulating vertical arms 29 folded in overhead position relative to the respective cross 4 arms 27. This arrangement resiliently and snugly holds the lading to the deck and allows for quick spring action release of the arms 27 and 29 from the lading when nuts 35 are undone.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, as those skilled in the art who have the dis closure before them wiil be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A flat deck railroad car comprising:

a deck portion,

a pair of longitudinally spaced end bulkheads,

laterally spaced sides on opposed sides of said flat deck car,

lading tiedown means for securing lading to said flat deck portion,

said tiedown means comprising an overhead longitudinally extending trolley carrier positioned over the deck portion, trolley means movable along said trolley carrier in a longitudinal direction and movably carried thereon.

said trolley means comprising movable bearing means engageable with the top portion of said trolley carrier and having resilient or hearing means extending under said carrier,

cross arm means extending above said deck portion and biasingly connecting with said resilient means, said cross arm means extending transversely of the length of said car and having lateral end portions,

a pair of laterally spaced upright extension arm means each pivotally connecting with a respective lateral end of said cross arm means and adapted to cooperate With said cross arm means for containing lading on said fiat deck,

each extension arm means having a lower end releasably coupled with a respective side and clamp means on each side for pulling said cross arm means against the action of the resilient means and down against the lading for holding said cross arm means snugly against said ladling, and

said trolley carrier comprising upright support means extending between the deck portion and the trolley carrier for supporting the carrier.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and

said resilient means being located below said cross arm means, and

a resilient guide connecting with said trolley means and coupling said trolley carrier between said trolley means and said resilient means.

3. The invention according to claim 1, and

said resilient means being located below said cross arm means, and

means connecting said trolley means with said resilient means.

4. The invention according to claim 1, and

lateral load support means connecting with said deck and extending therefrom upwardly underneath said cross arm means and said resilient means for guiding of the lading stored thereagainst and permitting traversing of said trolley means.

5. A railroad car comprising:

a lading storage deck,

lading tiedown means for securing lading to said deck,

said tiedown means comprising an overhead longitudinally extending trolley carrier positioned over the deck and having upright pier means between the carrier and the deck for supporting the trolley carrier,

trolley means movably carried along said trolley carrier in a longitudinal direction,

transversely extending cross arm means extending above said car and connecting with said trolley means,

a pair of laterally spaced upright extension arm means each connecting with a respective lateral end of said cross arm means and adapted to cooperate with said cross arm means for containing lading on said car, and

each extension arm means being coupled with a respective side portion of the car, and

means mounting said cross arm means on the trolley means for vertical movement between the cross arm means and the trolley means whereby the cross arm means moves vertically relative to the trolley means, attendant to coupling the pair of extension arm means with the sides of the car for securely holding the lading on the car.

6. The invention according to claim 5, and

said deck being a fiat deck and said end portions being end bulkheads extending up from the deck.

7. The invention according to claim 5, and

said pier means including a plurality of upright members.

3. The invention according to claim 5, and

said trolley means comprising bearing means engageable with the trolley carrier for movement therealong.

9. The invention according to claim 5, and

said trolley means comprising bearing means engageable with the top of the trolley carrier for movement therealon 10. The invention according to claim 5, and

said car sides comprising sills each having clamping means and said extension arm means having an adjustable means for adjustably connecting with its respective clamping means.

11. The invention according to claim 5, and

said extension arm means each being pivotally connected to its cross arm means for pivotally swinging of an extension arm means over a cross arm means in a stored position.

12. The invention according to claim 5, and

said trolley means comprising a plurality of trolleys and said cross arm means and said extension arm means comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced upper cross arms and pairs of laterally spaced vertically extending extension arms and clamp means comprising a plurality of complementary clamps longitudinally spaced along the respective side sill for complementally coupling with a respective pair of extension arms for pulling said cross arms against said ladin 13. The invention according to claim 5, and

said sides of the car having clamp means connecting with the extension arm means and said cross arm means pivotally supporting each pair of extension arm means, and

said each extension arm being swingable from a downward position in locking relation with said clamp means to an up out-of-the-way position whereby each extension arm means extends toward the other and above said cross arm means.

14. The invention according to claim 5, and

said trolley means having resilient means suspending said cross arm means and clamp means attaching said extension arm means to the car sides, and

said resilient means being held in tension by said clamp means whereby when said clamp means is released said resilient means causes said cross arm means to move upwardly away from engagement with said lading.

15. A railroad car comprising:

a lading storage deck,

lading tiedown means for securing lading to said deck,

said tiedown means comprising an overhead longitudinally extending trolley carrier positioned over the deck and having upright pier means between the carrier and the deck for supporting the trolley carrier,

trolley means movably carried along said trolley carrier in a longitudinal direction,

transversely extending cross arm means extending above said car and connecting with said trolley means,

a pair of laterally spaced upright extension arm means each connecting with a respective lateral end of said cross arm means and adapted to cooperate with said cross arm means for containing lading on said car, and

each extension arm means being coupled with a respective side portion of the car, and

resilient means extending from said trolley means and connecting with said cross arm means for resiliently suspending the latter, said extension arm means being adjustably connected with the car sides in acting on said resilient means when said cross arm means engages the lading.

16. A railroad car comprising:

a lading storage deck,

lading tiedown means for securing lading to said deck,

said tiedown means comprising an overhead longitudinally extending trolley carrier positioned over the deck and having upright pier means between the carrier and the deck for supporting the trolley carrier,

trolley means movably carried along said trolley carrier in a longitudinal direction,

transversely extending cross arm means extending above said car and connecting with said trolley means,

a pair of laterally spaced upright extension arm means each connecting with a respective lateral end of said cross arm means and adapted to cooperate with said cross arm means for containing lading on said car,

each extension arm means being coupled with a respective side portion of the car,

resilient means extending from said trolley means and connecting with said cross arm means for resiliently suspending the latter, said extension arm means being adjustably connected with the car side in acting on said resilient means when said cross arm means engages the lading,

said resilient means being located below said cross arm means, and

a spring guide connecting with said trolley means and coupling said trolley carrier between said trolley means and said resilient means.

17. A railroad car comprising:

a lading storage deck,

lading tiedown means for securing lading to said deck,

said tiedown means comprising an overhead longitudinally extending trolley carrier positioned over the deck and having upright pier means between the carrier and the deck for supporting the trolley carrier,

trolley means movably carried along said trolley carrier in a longitudinal direction,

transversely extending cross arm means extending above said car and connecting with said trolley means,

a pair of laterally spaced upright extension arm means each connecting with a respective lateral end of said cross arm means and adapted to cooperate with said cross arm means for containing lading on said car, and

each extension arm means being coupled with a respective side portion of the car,

resilient means extending from said trolley means and connecting with said cross arm means for resiliently suspending the latter, said extension arm mean being adjustably connected with the car sides in acting on said resilient means when said cross arm means engages the lading,

said resilient means being located below said cross arm means, and

means connecting said trolley means with said spring means.

18. A railroad car comprising:

a lading storage deck,

lading tiedown means for securing lading to said deck,

said tiedown means comprising an overhead longitudinally extending trolley carrier positioned over the deck and having upright pier means between the carrier and the deck for supporting the trolley carrier,

trolley means movably carried along said trolley carrier in a longitudinal direction,

transversely extending cross arm means extending above said car and connecting with said trolley means,

a pair of laterally spaced upright extension arm means each connecting with a respective lateral end of said cross arm means and adapted to cooperate with said cross arm means for containing lading on said car,

each extension arm means being coupled with a respective side portion of the car,

resilient means extending from said trolley means and connecting with said cross arm means for resiliently suspending the latter, said extension arm means being adjustably connected with the car sides in acting on said resilient means when said cross arm means engages the lading, and

lateral load support means connecting with said deck and extending therefrom upwardly underneath said cross arm means and said resilient means for guiding of the lading stored thereagainst and permitting traversing of said trolley means.

19. A railroad car comprising:

a lading storage deck,

lading tiedown means for securing lading to said deck,

said tiedown means comprising an overhead longitudinally extending trolley carrier positioned over the deck and having upright pier means between the carrier and the deck for supporting the trolley carrier,

trolley means movably carried along said trolley carrier in a longitudinal direction,

transversely extending cross arm means extending above said car and connecting with said trolley means,

a pair of laterally spaced upright extension arm means each connecting with a respective lateral end of said cross arm means and adapted to cooperate with said cross arm means for containing lading on said car,

each extension arm means being coupled with a respective side portion of the car,

resilient means extending from said trolley means and connecting with said cross arm means for resiliently suspending the latter, said extension arm means being adjustably connected with the car sides in acting on said resilient means when said cross arm means engages the lading, and

said resilient means comprising spring means.

20. A flat deck railroad car comprising:

a deck portion,

a pair of longitudinally spaced end bulkheads,

laterally spaced sides on opposed sides of said fiat deck car,

lading tiedown means for securing lading to said flat deck portion,

said tiedown means comprising an overhead longitudinally extending trolley carrier positioned over the deck portion,

trolley means movable along said trolley carrier in a longitudinal direction and movably carried thereon,

said trolley means comprising movable bearing means engageable with the top portion of said trolley carrier and having a resilient or bearing means extending under said carrier,

cross arm means extending above said deck portion and biasingly connecting with said resilient means,

said cross arm means extending transversely of the length of said car and having lateral end portions,

a pair of laterally spaced upright extension arm means each pivotally connecting with a respective lateral end of said cross arm means and adapted to cooperate with said cross arm means for containing lading on said fiat deck,

each extension arm means having a lower end releasably coupled with a respective side and clamp means on each side for pulling said cross arm means against the action of the resilient means and down against the lading for holding said cross arm means snugly against said lading,

said trolley carrier comprising upright support means extending between the deck portion and the trolley carrier for supporting the carrier, and

said trolley carrier comprising rod means and said trolley means comprising bearing roller means engaging with said rod means.

21. A railroad car comprising:

a lading storage deck,

lading tiedown means for securing lading to said deck,

said tiedown means comprising an overhead longitudinally extending trolley carrier positioned over the deck and having upright pier means between the carrier and the. deck for supporting the trolley carrier,

trolley means movably carried along said trolley carrier in a longitudinal direction,

transversely extending cross arm means extending above said car and connecting with said trolley means,

a pair of laterally spaced upright extension arm means each connecting with a respective lateral end of said cross arm means and adapted to cooperate with said cross arm means for containing lading on said car,

each extension arm means being coupled with a respective side portion of the car,

said trolley means having resilient means suspending said cross arm means and clamp means attaching said extension arm means to the car sides, and

said resilient means being held in tension by said clamp means whereby when said clamp means is released said resilient means causes said cross arm means to move upwardly away from engagement with said lading.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,852,173 4/1932 Lundborg et a1. 367 2,638,063 5/1953 Clark.

3,095,830 7/1963 Runken.

3,159,112 12/1964 Tomlinson 105-367 3,193,122 7/1965 Sauthoff.

DRAYTON E. HUFFMAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

